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April 9, 2013

Antony warns Army against threats from China, Pakistan

India's
deep unease over China's growing military might and assertiveness as
well as intransigence about the boundary dispute resonated at a military
brass conclave on Monday, with defence minister AK Antony also underlining the threat posed by the expansive nexus forged between Beijing and Islamabad.

China's approach to India on the long-standing boundary dispute and
other issues, even after the recent leadership change in Beijing, "is
not likely to change" in the foreseeable future. Consequently, the
Indian armed forces need to "constantly develop" their capabilities to
achieve "minimum credible deterrence" against China, said Antony.

The minister, addressing the closed-door Army commanders' conference,
did point out the government was trying to resolve issues with China in a
"peaceful" manner, and also cited the new bilateral boundary management
mechanism as "a positive development".

But Antony also
stressed it was crucial to modernize the armed forces to counter China's
"military assertiveness", including its massive development of military
infrastructure along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) as well
as in other neighbouring countries, like the Gilgit-Baltistan areas of
Pakistan, said MoD sources.

India has belatedly taken some
steps to strategically counter China but much more needs to be done at a
rapid clip. While IAF is now progressively basing Sukhoi-30MKI fighters
in the north-east and the Navy is bolstering force-levels on the
eastern seaboard, the Army's Rs 81,000-crore plan to raise a new
mountain strike corps with associated structures is yet to take off.

Holding that the recent Chinese takeover of Pakistan's strategically-located Gwadar port
near the Iranian border has further strengthened the economic and
security linkages between the two countries, Antony promised all
government support to the armed forces for "the necessary measures"
needed to tackle "any emerging threats".

Pakistan, he said,
poses "a unique threat" due to its rapidly growing nuclear arsenal,
military modernization with the help of China and the US, and its
continuing support to a large number of terrorist groups undertaking
"proxy war" in Jammu and Kashmir.

While India "welcomes" the forthcoming elections in Pakistan
— to be held on May 11 — it is unlikely its "anti-India stance" and its
"obsession" with J&K will ever abate. With the terror
infrastructure in both Pakistan and PoK still very much intact, India
will need to maintain its policy of deterrence against its western
neighbour.

Moreover, with Afghanistan headed for instability after the US withdrawal next year, Pakistan's continuing support to the Taliban
and inroads into the country is a source of worry. India needs to be
prepared to deal with "any spillover effect" as well, added Antony.